


Demon's Reactions

by AceDelta12



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:13:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26707306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceDelta12/pseuds/AceDelta12
Summary: We all know how Jeralt dies in the game (unfortunately). This little fanfic details all the other possible decisions Byleth could have made in that scene in the game, with each chapter detailing a different reaction. There will also be a post-timeskip result at the end of each chapter. Note that it will be a Black Eagles route every single time because I literally never played any other route.
Relationships: Jeralt Reus Eisner & My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 20
Kudos: 2





	1. Suicide

**Author's Note:**

> Byleth stabs himself with the Sword of the Creator before Jeralt leaves him.

As Byleth knelt on the ground, his dying father in his lap as he shed his first tears, he knew that his time had come.

“Sorry...it looks like...I’m going to have to leave you now…” Jeralt managed.

His eyes opened momentarily, and he looked at Byleth. “To think that the first time I saw you cry...your tears would be for me…”

Byleth didn’t even bother resisting.

“It’s sad...and yet, I’m happy for it.” Jeralt continued.

He looked into his son’s eyes. “Goodbye...kid…”

Byleth shook his head. "No. You'll never leave me."

"...kid?" Jeralt asked. "What are you...talking about?"

"If you're dying, then so am I." Byleth said as he pulled out the Sword of the Creator. "I can't live without you."

Before Jeralt could respond, Byleth plunged the Sword of the Creator through his chest, piercing his heart and shattering his Crest of Flames.

Jeralt displayed as shocked of a look as he could manage as he watched his son pull a bloody Sword of the Creator out of himself.

"I'm going...with you...Father..." Byleth managed as he collapsed onto Jeralt's body.

Jeralt placed an arm around Byleth, who dropped the Sword of the Creator between them.

They closed their eyes for the final time as smiles appeared on their faces, and Jeralt and Byleth were gone forever.

From the Goddess Tower, Rhea suddenly felt separated. As if something very close to her had suddenly disappeared.

She had never felt so closed-off in her life. She was so bewildered by it that Seteth asked her what was wrong.

"I...I feel strange." Rhea admitted. "Almost as if someone close to me has..." Her eyes went wide as she realized what the unspoken part of her sentence was.

Ignoring Seteth, Rhea rushed out of the Goddess Tower and made her way to the chapel, quickly followed by a slightly faster Seteth.

There, both of them beheld the deceased Jeralt and Byleth, a bloody Sword of the Creator between them.

"No..." Rhea said as she knelt down at the bodies.

"Lady Rhea?" Seteth asked.

"Must you take my mother from me, Professor?" Rhea asked. "Must you leave me heartbroken?"

Byleth did not answer. Byleth is dead.

Emperor Edelgard met up with King Dimitri, Queen Flayn, and Alliance Leader Claude in the Goddess Tower.

Without Byleth, the three leaders had completely changed, becoming far more stoic than they ever would have been. Everyone was sick of the war which, after dragging on for over twenty years, had been temporarily paused when the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance all called a truce.

The Church of Seiros had long since dissolved, and Rhea and Seteth were dead. Flayn had chosen to flee to the Kingdom.

"Imagine if Teach just triumphantly returned, not a day older than when the war started." Claude said.

"Everyone was at the funeral, Claude. The Professor is dead. He committed suicide upon Jeralt's death." Edelgard responded.

"Suicide, just because a family member died..." Dimitri mused. "I dare say that not even I could attempt such a thing. I would need another to take my life for me."

"That can be arranged." Edelgard said, eyeing Dimitri.

"Hey, hey. We called a truce." Claude said. "None of you are insane enough to break that truce."

"We all wish the Professor was still alive." Flayn said, standing tall. She had grown considerably, and was now even taller than Claude, but not quite as tall as Dimitri. "I'm just the only one who will actually admit it."

Edelgard sighed. "You're right, Flayn. We all do wish it. But pining for the past in our position will get us nowhere. You're not leading an entire nation, so you have all the time in the world to wonder what could have been different."

"Rumor has it that the goddess herself perished when the Professor killed himself." Dimitri said. "At this point, what is there to fight for?"

"We must rise by our own merits." Edelgard said. "We must unite together and become stronger. For our Professor."

"For our Professor." Dimitri, Flayn, and Claude said in unison.

Thus the Holy Imperial Alliance was born.


	2. Depression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth goes into a multi-year downward spiral of depression after Jeralt dies.

As Byleth knelt on the ground, his dying father in his lap as he shed his first tears, he knew that his time had come.

“Sorry...it looks like...I’m going to have to leave you now…” Jeralt managed.

His eyes opened momentarily, and he looked at Byleth. “To think that the first time I saw you cry...your tears would be for me…”

Byleth didn’t even bother resisting.

“It’s sad...and yet, I’m happy for it.” Jeralt continued.

He looked into his son’s eyes. “Goodbye...kid…”

Jeralt’s eyes closed for the final time, and he was gone forever.

Byleth couldn't believe it. He didn't want to.

Byleth woke up a week later. He'd closed his curtains and stuck small wood planks to the windows in the door, to let in as little light into his room as possible.

"Professor?" a soft voice said as it crept its way through the opening underneath the door. "Are you awake?"

"Is it daytime out?" he responded.

The voice didn't respond. Byleth assumed he'd asked a question that the voice's owner wouldn't have expected.

"Um...I guess? The sun's only just rising."

"Come in, but make it quick."

The door opened just enough for Mercedes to squeeze her way through, and she shut it behind her.

"Professor...we've been so worried about you..." she said as she felt her way to the bed, almost tripping over the desk chair that Byleth had never put back into place.

Finally, she made her way to the bed, and she sat down on it.

Mercedes couldn't see a thing, but Byleth knew where everything was, at first from feeling everything, then his eyes had adjusted to the pitch darkness after a few days.

"I've missed you so much..." she said. "I didn't think Jeralt's death would affect you this badly..."

Byleth sat up on the bed and placed his hand on Mercedes's. "I'd never felt so horrible in my life...I miss him so much..."

He suddenly wrapped his arms around her and burst into tears. "Mercie, I can't even teach right anymore! What am I going to do with myself?!"

"If you'd like, you can teach _me_ how to teach like you..." Mercedes offered. "I don't know much about mercenary tactics, but I'll learn as much as I can. I'll ask the mercenaries you've worked with in the past. I'll do whatever it takes to learn to teach just like you, while you heal your heart."

"Mercie..." Byleth said.

Mercedes wrapped her arms around Byleth. "Shh...just let it out. You'll be okay."

Her voice was so soft, and said exactly what needed to be said, he couldn't hold his tears back any longer. He cried into her shoulder so long that Mercedes started to think the entire right shoulder of her shawl was soaked.

"I'm here, Professor..." she said. "I'm here for you..."

Byleth had stayed within the monastery the entire war. Without the support of him and the Sword of the Creator, the Church quickly lost Garreg Mach to the Empire.

Many wanted to see Byleth, but everyone had to make a request from Mercedes to see him, with the exception of Emperor Edelgard, and Byleth was only willing to see one person a day except for Mercedes.

She was eventually able to coax him to allow light into his room once more, and toward the end of the war, he started to leave his room more and more. But under his strict orders, enforced by Mercedes and Edelgard, the others were to not talk to him unless he initiated it. One day, he spoke to Mercedes and Petra regarding his condition.

"I may never fully recover from the trauma of Jeralt's death, but I feel as though I've come as close as I can." he said, trying to sound optimistic.

"I am with gladness, Professor." Petra said. "It is good to be seeing the light in your eyes again."

"Still, there is no need to grin and bear it, Professor." Mercedes added. 

"Trust me, I know." Byleth said. "But at least now I can teach and lead everyone on the front lines again."

Mercedes and Petra hugged Byleth, glad to know that he was as close to his old self as he could be.

For the first time since Jeralt's death, Byleth felt happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a request on what reaction you've come up with that I haven't done!


End file.
